December 9, 2007

When Lawton Chiles served Florida in the U.S. Senate, he would whisk away to the woods early in the morning, often leaving from Washington for his favorite turkey roosts in Virginia about 3:00AM and arriving on site to watch the world awaken by around 4:30AM. From interviews, I understand that it was the mystery of the turkey's entrance that entranced him--that moment when they suddenly appeared in the clearing. The kill was just the cap on the full experience.

I'm not sure where Chiles and the rest of the Senate gobbler caucus hunted in the Old Dominion. The above picture is from the Shenandoah Mountains. As polluted as the mountain skies are nowadays, I'm sure the turkeys are still scratching up the grounds.